Vacuum feeding device for carbureters



F. V. RISINGER. VACUUM FEEDING DEVICE FOR'CARBURETERS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9, 1920.

1,391,793. PatentedSept. 27,1921.

11v VENTOR;

' ATTORNEYO WITNESSES FRANK V. RISINGER, 0F YOUNGSTOWN,

PATENT OFFICE.

01110, Assrerron r0 STEWART-WARNER SPEEDOMETER CORPORATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATION OF VIR- GINIA.

VACUUM FEEDING DEVICE FOR CARBURE'IERS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 2'7, 1921.

Application filed July 9, 1920. Serial No. 394,988.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK V. RIsINGER', a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Youngstown, in the county of Mahofiing and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vacuum Feeding Devices for Carbureters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The purpose. of this invention is to proa vide an improved device for supplying liquid fuel from a relatively low mam supply tank to the 'carbureter of aninternal combustion engine. It consists in the elements and features of construction shown and described, as indicated in the claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through a device embodying this invention, and showing the relative position of the parts where the fuel is being drawn into the device from the main supply tank.

Fig. 2 is a similar view through the upper portion of the device, showing the relative position of the parts when the suction is cut off and while the elevated fuel is being delivered to the outlet chamber for reserve fuel supply chamber of the device.

Fig. 3 is a section at the line, 33, on Fig. *1, the. valve being shown in elevation.

Referring to the figures of the drawings above described; 1 deslgnates a cavity whose casing is hereinafter referred to as the vacuum chamber. It is closed at the bottom by a head, 2, having a boss, 3, to which is connected the outlet nozzle, 4, having a valve, 5.

v The upperportion of said casing, 1, has a head, 6, provided with an inlet passage, 7, to which is connected a. pipe, 8, designed to lead from a supply tank, not shown but understood to be located below the level of the chamber, 1. The passage, 7, preferably emerges through a nozzle boss, 9, projecting into the cavity of the casing, the passage therethrough being tapered in said boss forming a valve seat at 9, for a liquid cutoff valve hereinafter described. I

A valve casing, 10, is provided on the head, 6. Through one side ofthis casing, 10, there is a suction port, 17, at which there is connected a pipe or tube, 11, adapted to be connected to a source of suction, as the intake manifold of an internal combustion ention tothe suction port, 17 a pair of ports,

18, 18, opening to the external atmosphere.

The valve, 12, has a slot, 19, at its lower end into which projects a bail, 20, or the like, projectin upwardly from a receptacle, 21, which is ulcrumed below its center of gravity and nearer one end than the other, as indicated at 22. This receptacle, 21, has a discharge opening, 27, in the bottom near the end farther from the fulcrum; and it is provided at one end with a weight, 23, of material lighter than the liquid, so as to operate also as a buoy at a certain stage of the operation, as hereinafter described, but heavy enough to be adequate to more than offset the Weight and lever advantage of the tacle, 21, has an inlet opening, 24, into which the nozzle, 9, projects when said receptacle is at normal position. valve, 25, is mount ed in the port, 7, and is connected by a stem, 26, to the bottom of the receptacle, 21. When this receptacle is in its normal or raised position, the valve,"25, is elevated, as shown in Fig. 1. When, however, the receptacle is tilted downwardly out of its normal position, the rod, 26, pulls the valve, 25, positively onto the emergence seat, 9, of-the nozzle, 9. Thus the flow of fuel through the nozzle will be cut ofi'. This movement of the receptacle, 21, is limited by its heel,*21* striking the under side of the head plate, 6, as seen inFig. 2; and at this position the atmosphere ports, 15 and 16, of the valve, 12, are in register with the ports, 18, 18, respectively, and the suction port, 14, of said valve is out of register with the port, 17. When the receptacle is raised to its normal position, the discharge opening, 27, is closed by a tapered valve, 28, which is pivotally suspended by a stem, 29, from the chamber head, 6, as shown at 30. Thus it will be seen that the two valves, 25 and 28, operate alternate toclose their respective ports or openings.

A receptacle, 31, for accumulating reserve fuel supply, hereinafter referred to as the reserve fuel supply chamber, is arranged within the casing, 21, below all the valveoperating mechanism above described, the bottom, 32, of said receptacle, 31, being provided with an outlet, 33, connected by a coupling, 34, to the boss, 3. The sides and bottom of the reserve fuel supply chamber, 31, are spaced respectively from the vertical walls and lower end of the outer or vacuum chamber, 1, enough to permit perfectly free flow of liquid from the vacuum chamber into the reserve fuel supply chamber, 31,-

and also to aflord a protection, as herein after described, against over-heating of the contents of said reserve 'fuel supply chamber. An inlet opening, 35, is formed in the bottom of the receptacle, 31, which is provided with a check valve, 36, opening u ward for gravity flow of liquid from t e vacuum chamber to said reserve fuel supply chamber.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The engine being started, suction will be set up and will result in the withdrawal of air from the casing, 1, through the registering ports, 14 and 17. Thus a partial vacuum will be created within the casing, 1, or vacuum chamber, and as the receptacle, 21, is in its raised or lifted position, the fuel will be drawn by suction through the pipe, 8, and the port, 7, and discharged into the receptacle, 21. When the receptacle, 21, is almost filled, the weight of the liquid contents is sufficient to overbalance the weighted end and to cause the opposite end to swing downward to the position shown in Fig. 2, leaving the valve, 28, suspended and causing the valve, 25, to move down to its seat, cutting off the supply of liquid. -Thus the liquid will pass out of the receptacle, 21, into the vacuum chamber of the casing, 1, and thence upwardly through the port, 25, into the reserve fuel supply chamber, 31, where it is trapped by the valve, 36, and allowed to escape only through the outlet, 33, for supplying the carbureter. At the same time that the receptacle, 21, tilts downwardly as shown in Fig. 2, the bail, 20, shifts the valve, 12, so as to close the port, 17, and open the air communication through the two ports, 15 and 16, now registered with the ports, 18, 18, so.- that the vacuum is thus broken and the liquid is permitted to flow from the receptacle into the chamber, 31.

The foregoing cycle of operations will be repeated, until the liquid fills the chamber, 31, and rises within the upper portion of the vacuum chamber of the casing, 1, first, to partly submerge, and. then, as the liquid rises farther, to buoy up the receptacle, 21, and lift and uphold the same. This prevents the receptacle, 21, from returning to its original or normal position, so that a renewal of suction cannot be made until a sufficient amount of the liquid .has been withdrawn therefrom to the carbureter, to permit the receptacle, 21, to return to its original position, as shown in Fig. 1; whereupon the port, 17 will again be open and the cycle of operation will be repeated.

The ball valve, 25, acts as a support for the receptacle, 21, when the latter is in its lowermost position, and said valve operates not only to prevent liquid from being siphoned back into the main supply tank, when there is nosuction causing partial vacuum in the vacuum chamber, but also serves to prevent fuel from the main supply tank running into and overflowing the device at any time when the automobile may be tilted to bring the main supply tank higher than the vacuum chamber, 1. In other words, this type of valve makes it unnecessary for the vacuum feed device to be placed so high above the level of the main supply tank as to prevent overflowing when a vehicle is tilted to an extreme angle. Thus there is provided a much more eificient or a more convenient means because it is not necessary to draw the fuel to as high a level as when cut-off means such as above described are not used. In the present construction it is necessary to have the vacuum feed device only at a slight distance above the level of the main supply tank and the carbureter, and accordingly, much less suction isrequired to keep the carbureter supplied with fuel.

It will be noted that this tube, 37 extends from the top of the chamber, 31, up through the upper part of the vacuum chamber and out through the head, 6. Thus the contents of the chamber, 31, are always exposed to atmospheric pressure for delivery to the carbureter. V

The location of the fuel reserve supply chamber, 31, wholly within the vacuum chamber and spaced from the walls of the latter so as to accommodate an appreciable body of liquid in' the interspace, has the purpose and advantage of interposing this interspaced liquid between a source of heat, as the engine body, by which the liquid in the reserve supply chamber might be heated to the boiling point, which would cause discharge of liquid and vapor through the atmosphere pipe, 37, and which would be liable to ignition with dangerous results. With the liquid interposed in the annular interspace around the reserve fuel supply chamber, this liquid may be vaporized by the heat of the engine under the conditions of both,

but this vaporization will tend to withdraw some heat; and while it is in process of vaporization little or no heat will be transmitted through'it to the chamber, 31; and the vacuum chamber, 1, having always free space above the liquid therein and free communication either with the intake manifold of the engine or with the atmosphere, the vapor generated in that chamber will escape without further discharge of liquid and without any of the damage or danger which is liable to result when liquid is-discharged through the atmosphere pipe, 37.

I claim 1. In a device for the. purpose indicated, in combination with a chamber having a suction port, an atmosphere port and a liquid supply inlet; a receptacle for liquid pivotally mounted in said chamber and adapted when empty to be overbalanced in one direction, and when li uid-filled to a predetermined degree to e over-balanced in the other direction, said receptacle having a filling aperture positioned for receiving liquid from the liquid inlet port of the chamber; a valve for closing said liquid inlet port and operating connections thereto from the receptacle for opening said valve upon the tilting of the receptacle; valve means by which said receptacle discharges its liquid contents by being over-balanced thereby, and connections from said receptacle for operating the valve of said means.

2. In a device for the purpose indicated,

in combination with a chamber having a suction port, an atmosphere port and a liquid supply inlet; a rece tacle for liquid pivotally mounted in sai chamber and adapted when empty to be over-balanced in one direction, and When liquid-filled to a predetermined degree to be over-balanced in the other direction, said receptacle having a filling aperture positioned for receiving liquid from the liquid inlet port; and buoying means carried by the receptacle positioned, when the receptacle is in empty position, for being submerged upon the use of the liquid to a predetermined height in the chamber, for tilting the receptacle to the opposite limit regardless of its liquid contents.

3. In a' device for the purpose indicated, in combination, a chamber into which liquid fuel'is puinpcd from a lower source of supply, said'chamber having for that purpose an atmosphere inlet, a suction connection and a liquid inlet connection, and means for controlling said connections adapted to cause at least one of them to be open at all times,.

said second chamber having a port for access of atmospheric ressure at the top, and being inclosed wit in the first chamber with respectively encompassed and encompassing Walls of the two chambers; whereby the interior of said chambers is protected by the liquid 'in the interspace from exterior heat. tending to vaporize the liquid contents, and the buter chamber has free escape above the liquid therein for vapor which may be generated.

4. Apparatus of the class described including a chamber having a fuel inlet and a suction outlet, a receptacle movably mounted Within the chamber for receiving fuel from the fuel inlet, means operated by the movement of said receptacle under the weight of the liquid fuel delivered thereto for positively closing the fuel inlet to the chamber, means similarly operated for placing the chamber in communication with the external atmosphere and closing communication between said chamber and the suction outlet during such movement of the vessel, and means controlled by said movement of the vessel for delivering the liquid fuel from the receptacle. 7

5. Apparatus of the class described including a vacuum chamber having a fuel inlet for connection with a supply tank and a suction outlet, a receptacle movably mounted in said vacuum chamber for receiving fuel substantial interspace for liquid between the V from said inlet, means operated by the movement of said receptacle under the'weight of the fuel delivered thereto for positively closing the fuel inlet,,means operated by said movement of the receptacle for delivering the'fuel from the receptacle, means for closing the suction outlet and for opening communication between the vacuum chamber and the external atmosphere during such movement of the receptacle, a reserve fuel supply chamber within the Vacuum chamber and having an opening in the bottom thereof in communication With said vacuum chamber, a valve normally closing said outlet, and an outlet extending from the bottom of said receptacle to the point of fuel consumption.

6. Apparatus of the class described including a vacuum chamber having a fuel ini let and a suction outlet, a receptacle movably mounted in said vacuumchamber and normally positioned to receive fuel from the fuel inlet, a combined float and Weight for holding the receptacle in normal position, means operated by the movement of said receptacle away from normal position under the weight of the liquid fuel directed thereinto for positively closing the fuel inlet, means operated by-said movement of the receptacle for delivering fuel therefrom and into the vacuum chamber, the .rising level of the fuel within the Vacuum chamber operating to lift the combined weight and float and hold the receptacle 'out of normal position, and means for closing the suction outlet and opemng-commumcation between the lit vacuum chamber and the external atmosfrom the reserve fuel chamber, a vent exphere while the receptacle is out of normal tending from the top of said chamber and' position. through the top of the casing, and means i 7. In a vacuum feed apparatus the comwithin the casing and above the reserve fuel 5 bination With a casing having a fuel inlet, chamber for supplying liquid fuel in con- 15 and a suction outlet, of a reserve fuel chamtrollable quantities to the said chamber. ber Within and spaced from the casing and In testimony whereof I have hereunto set having a valve inlet at the lower end thereof my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 16th day in communication with the interior of the of June, 1920. v

10 casing, there being a valved outlet extending FRANK V. RISINGER. 

